The tiny, critically endangered orangutan was born to Subis, 28, in the early hours of Thursday morning following an eight-and-a-half month gestation.

The unnamed newborn is the fifth for Subis.

Surveillance cameras were focused on the cage but did not capture the birth - so keepers and staff were surprised to see the baby had arrived.

Tim Rowlands, curator of mammals at the zoo, said: “It was a fabulous to come in and see a tiny pair of arms clinging to Subis. She’s an excellent, very experienced mum and we know she’ll do a brilliant job of caring for her new baby."

Subis was born at the same zoo in 1986 and has had four other children. The new addition is the first Sumatran orangutan to be born here at the zoo in just under three years

"The team is absolutely thrilled," Rowlands added.

According to the soo, Sumatran orangutans are found only on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia and it's estimated that there are less than 6,500 in existence.

The species has come under threat due largely to the destruction of its habitat for logging, wholesale conversion of forest to palm oil plantations and hunting.

Rowlands added: “To watch Subis cradling her new arrival is a truly wonderful sight and we just hope that the pair help us to raise a little more awareness of their cousins in the wild that face enormous threats on a day-to-day basis.

"Sadly, without continued conservation work, the Sumatran orangutan could become the first great ape to become extinct in the wild.”

Images Provided By The Chester Zoo

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